The Sombre Depths of Death
by MissFiyerabaMeponineSherlock
Summary: Yet another depiction of Eponine's death. Kinda M/E towards the end.


**I randomly decided to write something depressing so, here it is!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Les Mis or any of the characters**

She saw the musket pointed at him and she knew what was going to happen. But could she let that happen? Could she let the man she loved die? Certainly not! She had to save him, she needed to make sure that he lived. But at what cost? She already knew the answer to that: her life. She ran forward and placed her hand on the musket, guiding it over to her. The shot was fired and she stumbled back. Oh, the pain she felt! The agonizing pain! The bullet tore through her hand, all the way through, and went out her back. She somehow managed not to cry out. As it started to rain, she sank to the ground and waited for death to greet her. She took off her hat and pressed it to her chest, in what she knew to be a futile attempt to staunch the flow of blood. Then he looked her way and ran over to her.

"Good God, what are you doing!? 'Ponine, have you no fear?" Then he noticed the hat she held tightly to her chest. He knelt down next to her. "Eponine? What have you done?" he asked quietly, though fairly certain he already knew the answer. He pulled the hat away from Eponine's chest and saw the bullet hole, then he noticed the one on her hand. He looked at her frantically.

"Don't you fret, Monsieur Marius. I don't feel any pain." She lied. She felt nothing but pain, except for a strange happiness brought by Marius' presence. Marius took her in his arms and her happiness increased. She managed a weak smile and then looked up at the sky. "A little fall of rain can hardly hurt me now." It was pouring. She looked at Marius and managed another smile. "You're here. That's all I need to know." She gasped in pain. Marius held her closer. She raised a trembling hand to caress his face. "And you will keep me safe... and you will keep me close... and rain will make the flowers grow." She whispered. "Won't they be lovely?" She added in a soft murmur as she pictured the flowers in her head.

"But you will live, 'Ponine. Dear God above! If I could close your wounds with words of love." He sang softly to her. She shook her head.

"Even love can do nothing for me, just hold me now and let it be."

"You would live a hundred years if I could show you how. I won't desert you now." His voice shook with tears. Eponine convulsed in pain. He kissed her forehead softly. "Oh, 'Ponine, how did this happen?"

"Did you not see the musket aimed at you?"

"Yes, and a hand stopping it."

"That was mine."

"Oh what madness!" Marius exclaimed. "'Ponine, what were you thinking?"

"That I couldn't let you die." She replied.

"Let's get you inside, Joly can save you! You'll catch your death out here!" said He, noticing her shivering. Then he realised with horror the double entendre of his words. Eponine laughed weakly.

"The rain can't hurt me now." She reminded him. That's when it hit him: Eponine was going to die. He knew that she had accepted that. "This rain will wash away what's past and you will keep me safe, and you will keep me close... I'll sleep in your embrace at last!" She closed her eyes and for a moment, Marius had thought her to be dead. But then opened her eyes and she seemed to look to the heavens. "The rain that brings you here is heaven blessed! The skies begin to clear and I'm at rest..." She looked into his bright, tear-filled, green eyes. "A breath away from where you are... I've come home from so far..." Her voice shook with the tears that were now filling her chocolate brown eyes. The poor girl was scared of death. "I'm scared, Marius." She admitted, sounding very much like a young child with a fear of the night. She gasped again in pain. Marius stroked her hair lightly.

"Hushaby, Dear Eponine, you won't feel any pain..." He murmured to her. "A little fall of rain..."

"Can hardly hurt me now." She said weakly. She was fading away.

"I'm here."

"That's all... I... need to... know... and you... will keep me... safe..."

"I will stay with you,"

"And you... will keep... me... close..."

"'Til you are sleeping."

"And rain..." She whispered.

"And rain..." He echoed.

"Will make... the flowers..."

"Will make the flowers..." He murmured. Eponine pressed her lips to his, kissing him with the very last of her strength. Marius kissed her back, giving the dying girl what she'd so desperately longed for. She closed her eyes, and, once again, he thought her dead. But then she opened her eyes and looked at him with the sombre depths of death. She said to him in a voice whose sweetness already seemed to belong to a different world:

"And then, do you know, Monsieur Marius, I believe I was a little in love with you." She tried to smile again and died.

"Grow..." He whispered, finishing the song. He rocked her back and forth, murmuring softly into her hair. "Oh God, 'Ponine..." He was sobbing now. He looked at the dead girl in his arms and he came to a realisation. "I believe I was a little in love with you too."

**Aaaaaand there ya have it! Please review!**


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